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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. drill — the tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tear — to rip
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rule — government
  22. pass — a permit
  23. drill — army training
  24. pass — to spend time

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