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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: roll · bore · row · cap · straw · dip · ruler · wake

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. row — a line
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. roll — a cake
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a hat
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. row — to paddle
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bore — to tire
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bore — to drill

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