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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rest — a break
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. capital — a city
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — a container
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. capital — money
  16. foot — a measure
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. drill — a practice
  21. kid — child
  22. tube — the underground
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tube — in a tire

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