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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 116 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: rule · bound · staff · rest · tube · mouse · drill · saw

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — government
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. tube — the underground
  8. staff — a stick
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — army training
  12. staff — employees
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — obliged
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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