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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: nail · tear · bank · ruler · game · hand · face · jam

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — for money
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. game — a match
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. face — part of the head
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. face — to point toward
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hand — help
  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