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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. key — the most important part
  4. drill — the tool
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. race — the arms race
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. foot — a measure
  13. drill — army training
  14. key — in music
  15. race — a contest
  16. lean — thin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — a leader
  19. race — humankind
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — to bend
  24. kick — in football

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