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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 · ruler · drill · chest · hand · charge · season · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — help
  7. chest — of your body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rule — a law
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rule — government
  12. season — in sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — army training
  15. charge — in control
  16. bear — the animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. season — of the year
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule out

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