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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: chip · sharp · bat · ruler · rush · bore · rash · bank

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bank — for money
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rash — a series
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bank — for money
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bat — for baseball

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