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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.

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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: arm · charge · tear · pass · ground · file · drill · rule

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rule — government
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ground — crushed
  7. file — a document
  8. tear — to rip
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. drill — army training
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ground — a position
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rule — a law

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