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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: toast · leaves · ruler · bowl · chest · bat · drill · mug

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — bread
  5. mug — to rob
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chest — a box
  8. bat — the animal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. drill — army training
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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