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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rule — a law
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bore — to drill
  10. drill — army training
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rule — government
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stock — goods
  17. kick — in football
  18. stock — shares
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — a practice

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