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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: object · patient · hand · drill · can · spell · rule · dip

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. hand — help
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rule — government
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — in cards
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. drill — a practice
  17. object — an aim
  18. spell — letters
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. drill — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. drill — army training

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