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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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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: pop · spring · calf · deal · land · rule · plane · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rule — a law
  3. land — a country
  4. pop — soda
  5. spring — of water
  6. drill — a practice
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rule — government
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. drill — army training
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spring — a coil
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — to come down
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pop — music
  23. spring — the season
  24. land — ground

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