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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 · sharp · lean · kick · bore · rash · net · bark

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. net — in sport
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rash — a series
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — to shout
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. sharp — clever
  21. kick — in football
  22. bore — to tire
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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