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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rule — government
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. last — to go on
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — a law
  14. band — a ring
  15. toast — bread
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. branch — a division
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — hurry
  24. last — finally

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