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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ball — a dance
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kid — child
  8. sharp — clever
  9. drill — a practice
  10. court — of a king
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. court — of law
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. court — for sport
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wake — a trail

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