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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. drill — army training
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — in control
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mug — a face
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. drill — a practice
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — a cup
  19. charge — a price
  20. drill — the tool
  21. game — a match
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. shower — rain

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