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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · drill · pass · hand · rash · racket · present · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. rule — government
  5. drill — army training
  6. present — a gift
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rule — a law
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hand — help
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rash — a series
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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