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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rule — a law
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — government
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — army training
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — the tool

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