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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: rash · sharp · ruler · arm · bore · bear · wind · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rash — hasty
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rash — a series
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. ruler — for measuring

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