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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — army training
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bore — to tire
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — to drill
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. firm — steady
  13. rash — hasty
  14. march — the month
  15. drill — the tool
  16. swing — in golf
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rash — a series
  19. firm — a company
  20. rule — a law
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. march — music
  23. rule — government
  24. firm — decided

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