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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: stick · rush · wake · bore · ruler · craft · pitch · cabinet

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — a thrill

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