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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 116 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 · staff · drill · ball · wave · lean · coach · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lean — thin
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a great time
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ball — a dance
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. drill — a practice
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. staff — a stick
  22. snap — to click
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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