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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: fan · arm · toast · bore · kid · wound · roll · ruler

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. toast — bread
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. roll — a list
  7. bore — to tire
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. roll — a cake
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bore — to drill
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wound — an injury
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. arm — part of the body

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