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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: roll · bark · temple · content · ruler · tube · straw · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — a list
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. roll — a cake
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. tube — a container
  16. bark — to shout
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. content — the amount
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — happy
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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