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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. drill — army training
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — a law
  6. track — a path
  7. pass — a permit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spell — letters
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a music group
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. drill — the tool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. drill — a practice
  23. band — a ring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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