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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mate — to breed
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. game — wild animals
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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