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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: season · roll · tube · dip · mouse · ruler · tear · row

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — a container
  5. row — a line
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tear — to rip
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. season — in sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. row — to paddle

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