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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: bank · ruler · spell · bore · bat · roll · arm · craft

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. bank — for money
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — to drill
  6. craft — a skill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spell — letters
  12. craft — boats
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. roll — a list
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. spell — magic
  23. arm — a part of something
  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