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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · rule · drill · trunk · bay · rush · rest · court

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — army training
  6. rush — hurry
  7. court — of a king
  8. rule — a law
  9. court — of law
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. drill — the tool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. court — for sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rule — government
  21. drill — a practice
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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