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

Word bank: ruler · row · drill · wave · squash · kick

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. drill — a practice
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — the sport
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. row — a line
  10. kick — in football
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. drill — army training
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. drill — the tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wave — of the sea

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