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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — thin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. drill — the tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kick — in football
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lean — to bend
  18. drill — a practice
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. snap — to click
  21. game — a match
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ruler — for measuring

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