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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · can · game · ruler · kid · date · scale · drill

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. drill — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. kid — child
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. drill — army training
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. scale — size or range
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. game — wild animals
  18. scale — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kid — to tease
  24. game — a match

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