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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 120 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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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: rush · rule · court · drill · wave · calf · tear · chair

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chair — a leader
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rule — a law
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rush — hurry
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. drill — army training
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. rule — government
  23. tear — from crying
  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