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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. drill — the tool
  6. club — for dancing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. board — a committee
  10. rule — government
  11. rest — a break
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. last — final
  16. club — a group
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — to get on
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rule — a law
  21. rest — what's left
  22. club — for golf
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — to rule out

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