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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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 — the tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. content — happy
  4. mark — a grade
  5. content — the amount
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spring — of water
  8. mark — a trace
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — a series
  12. spring — the season
  13. mate — to breed
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  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