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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 · rest · mine · ruler · wind · safe · rash

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. roll — a list
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rest — a break
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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