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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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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 · rash · toast · arm · deal · jam · rule · fall

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. drill — army training
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — the tool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rash — a series
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rule — a law
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. toast — bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rule — government
  24. fall — the season

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