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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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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: drill · object · bulb · hide · mark · rule · deal · saw

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rule — government
  9. saw — the tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — a law
  16. deal — to handle
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. drill — a practice
  21. object — to protest
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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