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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: mug · bound · ruler · row · straw · pound · rock · trunk

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bound — certain
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mug — a face
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bound — obliged
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rock — music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rock — a stone
  24. trunk — of a tree

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