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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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Word bank
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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: perch · roll · board · kid · rush · ruler · stem · drill

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. drill — army training
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. board — a committee
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. roll — a cake
  14. board — to get on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rush — hurry
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kid — child
  21. perch — the fish
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — to tease

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