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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 120 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: kick · rock · bat · rule · bound · sharp · nail · bass

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bass — low music
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. rule — government
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bass — the fish
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kick — in football
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rule — a law
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bat — the animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bass — the instrument

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