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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — hasty
  9. drill — army training
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rash — a series
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rash — on the skin

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