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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: temple · tear · drill · pitcher · rule · press · rest · rock

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rest — a break
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — government
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — a law
  15. drill — army training
  16. press — a publisher
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — to push
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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