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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 120 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: wind · bore · pound · mug · ruler · straw · march · nail

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bore — to drill
  8. march — music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mug — a face
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bore — to tire
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. march — the month
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mug — to rob

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