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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 120 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: tear · current · drill · plane · rule · pass · racket · bound

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tear — to rip
  4. drill — a practice
  5. plane — a tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. bound — tied together
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — a law
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. drill — army training
  12. current — of water
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bound — certain
  17. rule — government
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — electric
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. tear — from crying

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