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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: drill · toast · wake · roll · calf · bank · straw · rule

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. roll — a cake
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rule — government
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bank — for money
  7. toast — bread
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bank — for money
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bank — of a river
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. drill — the tool
  21. roll — a list
  22. rule — a law
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. straw — dry grass

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