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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. spell — a short time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. toast — bread
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — magic
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. track — a song
  21. court — of law
  22. spell — letters
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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