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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: jam · rule · charge · drill · spell · cold · mouse · rest

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rule — government
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rule — a law
  6. rest — what's left
  7. charge — in control
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. spell — magic
  10. charge — electricity
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — letters
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. charge — a price
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. drill — army training
  24. rest — a break

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