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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 116 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: last · staff · nail · bore · fine · march · kid · ruler

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fine — all right
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — the month
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. last — finally
  11. march — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. kid — to tease
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kid — child
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bore — to tire
  20. last — final
  21. staff — employees
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fine — high quality

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