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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. kick — in football
  13. field — farmland
  14. swing — music
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. field — a subject
  18. squash — to crush
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — the tool
  23. swing — to play on
  24. field — for sport

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