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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. suit — to fit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chest — of your body
  5. drill — army training
  6. suit — clothes
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. clip — a video
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — a law
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — government
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chest — a box
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rock — music
  24. drill — the tool

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