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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: ruler · rush · ball · bore · bat · nail · sharp · hand

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bat — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ball — a dance
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — help
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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