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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: rest · stick · band · lean · bowl · bore · saw · ball

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rest — a break
  12. lean — thin
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. band — a music group
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bowl — a football final

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