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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 · ruler · rush · cold · wake · craft · drill · can

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. roll — a cake
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. can — to be able to
  13. craft — boats
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. roll — a list
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. craft — a skill
  20. drill — army training
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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