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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — a break
  5. rock — a stone
  6. race — the arms race
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. race — humankind
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for dancing
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — to crush
  16. club — a group
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rule — government
  19. race — a contest
  20. club — for golf
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rule — a law
  23. rock — music
  24. fall — the season

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