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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: kick · coach · mouse · nail · ruler · chest · arm · bore

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to tire
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chest — a box
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bore — to drill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — in football
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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