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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · bowl · ruler · fall · hide · board · rush · bat

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. fall — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. nail — on a finger

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