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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: hide · drill · mug · march · ruler · ball · saw · rush

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mug — a cup
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. march — music
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mug — a face
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — army training
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. march — the month
  24. rush — hurry

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