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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. drill — army training
  2. track — to keep track
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. march — the month
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. kick — in football
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — a path
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. track — a song
  22. spring — a coil
  23. drill — a practice
  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