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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: present · bowl · fork · rash · drill · tube · wind · ruler

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — there
  4. tube — a container
  5. drill — a practice
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. drill — the tool
  9. present — a gift
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. drill — army training
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. bowl — a football final

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