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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kid — child
  4. hand — help
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — in cards
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bank — of a river
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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