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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. rule — government
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — decided
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cell — in biology
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. field — for sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — a company
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. firm — steady
  19. field — farmland
  20. rule — a law
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a signal
  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