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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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 — the tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. root — of a plant
  4. kid — child
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — of a word
  11. season — of the year
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. root — the cause
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. kid — to tease
  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