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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: bank · ruler · field · trunk · nail · drill · row · chair

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. field — for sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a line
  7. field — farmland
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bank — for money
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. drill — army training
  16. field — a subject
  17. row — to paddle
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. drill — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — a leader

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