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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — a series
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rush — hurry
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. drill — army training
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ground — a position
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. tube — the underground

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