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

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. march — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — in a road
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. root — the cause
  12. drill — a practice
  13. tube — the underground
  14. march — the month
  15. rest — a break
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — a container
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. root — of a plant
  21. drill — army training
  22. root — of a word
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tube — in a tire

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