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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: nail · race · ground · rash · deal · bore · hand · bound

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rash — a series
  3. race — a contest
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — in cards
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. race — humankind
  14. rash — hasty
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — crushed
  18. hand — help
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ground — a position
  23. bound — certain
  24. bore — gave birth

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