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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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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: bowl · ruler · lean · race · straw · ball · nail · pound

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ball — a great time

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