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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. net — in sport
  4. rule — a law
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. present — there
  9. net — after costs
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — certain
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rule — government
  20. drill — army training
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — obliged
  23. present — the time now
  24. rock — a stone

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