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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: ruler · bore · kick · scale · saw · cell · firm · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kick — in football
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. firm — steady
  11. cell — in biology
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cell — a phone
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cell — in a prison

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