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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. drill — the tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. mark — a trace
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. drill — a practice
  15. firm — decided
  16. rule — government
  17. rash — a series
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. firm — a company
  22. squash — the sport
  23. firm — steady
  24. rule — to rule out

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