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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. game — a match
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rash — hasty
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rule — government
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bound — certain
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rule — a law
  20. rash — a series
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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