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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kid — child
  6. charge — electricity
  7. march — the month
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. charge — a price
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — in control
  12. toast — bread
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — army training
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. drill — the tool
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. kick — in football
  23. kid — to tease
  24. march — music

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