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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rule — government
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. charge — a price
  7. rule — a law
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. charge — in control
  13. drill — the tool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kick — in football
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cold — not warm
  18. drill — a practice
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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