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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: rule · drill · fine · spell · snap · march · mate · lash

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spell — letters
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fine — all right
  6. rule — government
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. march — the month
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mate — a partner
  13. drill — the tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — army training
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. march — music
  21. spell — magic
  22. rule — a law
  23. snap — to click
  24. fine — a penalty

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