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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 120 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 · racket · fall · calf · land · band · drill · mate

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. band — a music group
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mate — to breed
  5. band — a ring
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. land — ground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. land — a country
  14. fall — to drop
  15. land — to come down
  16. fall — the season
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. drill — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a partner

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