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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rule — a law
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — wild animals
  5. shower — to wash
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. current — happening now
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — a match
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. drill — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — government
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. shower — rain
  22. lie — to recline
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — army training

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