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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: can · drill · cue · fall · club · wave · ruler · cap

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cue — a hint
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. drill — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cue — a signal
  22. drill — army training
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fall — the season

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