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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: bowl · fan · mouse · sharp · rule · mate · drill · fall

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. drill — army training
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fall — the season
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rule — government
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — a law
  11. drill — a practice
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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