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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. sharp — clever
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — a law
  12. bore — to tire
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — a tin
  17. drill — the tool
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. can — to be able to
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — government

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