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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 · scale · bass · rule · lean · bay · can · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lean — thin
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rule — a law
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bass — low music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lean — to bend
  16. drill — army training
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — government
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — the tool
  24. scale — in music

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