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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 116 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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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: field · drill · rule · bulb · stand · wake · spell · rush

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. drill — a practice
  3. field — a subject
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. field — farmland
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. field — for sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. drill — army training
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bulb — of a plant

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