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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: ruler · game · drill · rule · bore · straw · bark · calf

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. drill — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rule — a law
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rule — government
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. drill — army training

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