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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. drill — army training
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. craft — a skill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bat — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — boats
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. nail — for a hammer

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