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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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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: current · band · wake · nail · bore · hand · deal · ruler

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. current — of water
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bore — to drill
  12. current — electric
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. band — a music group
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. band — a ring

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