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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. root — of a word
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lean — thin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. root — the cause
  12. rock — a stone
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kick — in football
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rock — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. last — final

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