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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 · foot · mate · drill · kick · ruler · row · wax

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. drill — a practice
  4. kick — in football
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. last — final
  13. mate — to breed
  14. last — finally
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. last — to go on
  24. drill — army training

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