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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. mate — a friend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — tied together
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bound — certain
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rule — a law
  24. perch — for a bird

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