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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · bat · key · straw · ruler · bound · roll · drill

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. drill — army training
  5. bound — tied together
  6. craft — a skill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. craft — boats
  10. bound — obliged
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — the tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. drill — a practice
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. key — in music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. roll — a list
  24. bound — certain

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