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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 120 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
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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: rash · drill · charge · rule · row · tube · arm · foot

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. drill — a practice
  4. tube — a container
  5. drill — army training
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — a series
  8. charge — a price
  9. tube — the underground
  10. charge — in control
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rule — government
  15. drill — the tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. row — a line
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. row — to paddle

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