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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: rule · foot · rush · key · bowl · drill · mouse · hand

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. hand — help
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. drill — a practice
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. drill — army training
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rule — a law
  21. foot — a measure
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. drill — 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