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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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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 · deal · chest · hide · calf · rule · drill · sharp

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rule — government
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. sharp — clever
  12. drill — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chest — a box
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — an agreement

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