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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. hand — in cards
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ground — a position
  9. drill — army training
  10. hand — help
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rule — government
  13. pass — a permit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rule — a law
  17. kick — in football
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hand — part of the body

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