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

Word bank: last · kick · drill · cue · file · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — finally
  3. file — a tool
  4. last — to go on
  5. file — a line of people
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — army training
  8. cue — for pool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. last — final
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cue — a hint
  16. file — a document
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg

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