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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: drill · rule · saw · cue · object · squash · mug · mine

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mine — for digging
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mug — to rob
  6. object — an aim
  7. rule — government
  8. drill — army training
  9. object — to protest
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mug — a face
  13. object — a thing
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. drill — the tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. drill — a practice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mug — a cup
  24. saw — the tool

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