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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: stick · tear · face · staff · fork · roll · drill · ruler

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. face — to point toward
  8. roll — a cake
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tear — from crying
  15. drill — army training
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. roll — a list
  18. drill — a practice
  19. face — to confront
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — in a road
  22. face — part of the head
  23. staff — employees
  24. ruler — for measuring

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