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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rule — government
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. drill — army training
  24. safe — a strongbox

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