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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: ruler · cue · hand · pit · drill · cap · rock · lash

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — help
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. drill — army training
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cue — a hint

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