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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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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: kick · rule · drill · fan · leaves · bowl · cue · vault

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rule — government
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kick — in football
  20. cue — for pool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. drill — army training
  24. bowl — a football final

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