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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: net · ruler · bore · chip · row · bound · face · lash

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — for catching
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bore — to tire
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — to eat
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — a line
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — to confront

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