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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: kid · rule · bowl · bore · shower · board · jam · nail

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rule — government
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — to get on
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bore — to drill
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bore — to tire
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — a committee
  18. shower — rain
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. kid — child
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. kid — to tease
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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