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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: mug · rule · drill · rest · toast · bear · leaves · wound

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bear — the animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. rest — a break
  5. drill — the tool
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. drill — army training
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mug — to rob
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rule — a law

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