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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · press · pit · bear · pop · bore · ruler · root

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pop — soda
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. press — to push
  17. root — the cause
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com