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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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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 · hand · vault · fan · rule · wave · mate · fork

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — a friend
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rule — government
  9. mate — to breed
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hand — help
  12. rule — a law
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. drill — the tool

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