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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rule — a law
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rule — government
  8. charge — in control
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. drill — army training
  12. field — for sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — a subject
  16. charge — a price
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fall — the season
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bound — tied together
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bound — certain
  24. field — farmland

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