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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: last · ruler · wound · saw · bay · sharp · bore · kick

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — final
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wound — an injury
  17. last — to go on
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — finally
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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