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

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. file — a tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rash — a series
  8. rest — a break
  9. file — a document
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rule — a law
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. rule — government
  17. tear — from crying
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. tear — from crying
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — on the skin

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