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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: bear · bat · last · bank · saw · ruler · nail · rash

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — a series
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. last — finally
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — to go on

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