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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 120 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: wake · ruler · fork · rest · stick · nail · bat · land

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. land — ground
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — a country
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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