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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: drill · hide · game · rule · dip · rock · bark · foot

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. drill — army training
  3. bark — to shout
  4. drill — a practice
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. foot — a measure
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rule — government
  15. game — a match
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. rule — a law
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. drill — the tool

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