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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. staff — employees
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rule — a law
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rule — government
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rash — a series
  20. drill — a practice
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — hurry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. staff — employees

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