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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. hand — help
  7. craft — boats
  8. drill — a practice
  9. firm — a company
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. craft — a skill
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. firm — steady
  18. drill — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — decided
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — to rule out

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