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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
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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: chest · calf · drill · rock · fan · jam · rule · land

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — a law
  4. chest — of your body
  5. drill — army training
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — a stone
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. land — to come down
  10. drill — a practice
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rock — music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — the tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — to move gently

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