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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — soda
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mine — for digging
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. drill — a practice
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kick — in football
  17. drill — army training
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pop — music
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — for measuring

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