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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.

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: bank · trunk · last · sharp · rule · drill · staff · tear

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. last — finally
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rule — government
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. last — to go on
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rule — a law
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — a practice
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — final
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. drill — army training
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. sharp — clever

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