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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rule — a law
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. craft — a skill
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. drill — a practice
  15. board — to get on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rule — government
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — boats
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. drill — the tool

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