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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: nail · ruler · band · wake · hide · mouse · bear · lean

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. band — a music group
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. band — a ring
  9. lean — thin
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bear — the animal

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