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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · drill · wake · ruler · rule · spell

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. spell — letters
  3. present — the time now
  4. drill — a practice
  5. present — there
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. drill — army training
  15. rule — government
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. present — a gift
  18. wake — a trail

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