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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. drill — a practice
  20. foot — a measure
  21. drill — army training
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — in music

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