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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: content · deal · kick · rule · lean · drill

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. drill — a practice
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. content — the amount
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. lean — thin
  17. drill — army training
  18. lean — to bend

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