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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: fall · drill · snap · chest · mug · bank · rule · racket

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — of a river
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chest — a box
  15. rule — government
  16. mug — a cup
  17. snap — to click
  18. mug — a face
  19. chest — of your body
  20. drill — army training
  21. fall — the season
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. chest — of your body

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