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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: lean · kid · march · wave · pass · drill · chair · ruler

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. drill — a practice
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lean — thin
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. drill — army training
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kid — child
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lean — to bend
  20. march — music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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