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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 120 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: drill · mine · wake · bay · rash · fine · temple · rule

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wake — a trail
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — a law
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rash — hasty
  14. drill — army training
  15. rule — government
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. drill — a practice
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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