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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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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: rush · bay · last · stock · nail · ruler · bowl · wind

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. last — final
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. last — finally
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stock — shares
  19. last — to go on
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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