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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: rush · drill · bowl · band · clip · ruler · bore · fine

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. clip — a video
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bore — to tire
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — to drill
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rush — hurry
  15. drill — army training
  16. band — a ring
  17. clip — to cut
  18. band — a music group
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rush — to hurry

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