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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: spell · drill · fork · pound · bore · hand · trunk · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bore — to tire
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spell — letters
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hand — help
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fork — in a road
  23. drill — army training
  24. rule — government

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