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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · tear · coach · kick · ground · mouse

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. tear — from crying
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — a position
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — in football
  9. ground — crushed
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — the earth

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