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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.

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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. band — a ring
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. band — a music group
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pop — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. kick — in football
  15. pit — in a race
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. drill — army training
  24. band — a rubber band

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