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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: kick · ruler · bulb · shower · drill · roll · mug · present

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mug — to rob
  4. drill — a practice
  5. roll — a cake
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. shower — rain
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — there
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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