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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — a practice
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rule — a law
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. drill — army training
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — thin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pop — soda

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