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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: prune · rash · bowl · lean · ruler · nail · ball · drill

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lean — to bend
  3. drill — army training
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lean — thin
  9. ball — a great time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — the fruit

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