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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. club — for golf
  3. drill — army training
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — a break
  6. bore — to drill
  7. march — music
  8. rule — government
  9. lean — thin
  10. march — the month
  11. rest — what's left
  12. drill — the tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. club — a group
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. dip — to sink
  24. drill — a practice

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