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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rule — a law
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. hand — help
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. rule — government
  20. drill — army training
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rock — to move gently

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