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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 116 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
468
Word bank
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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kick — in football
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. kid — child
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. file — a line of people
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pop — soda
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — to tease
  24. perch — the fish

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