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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: content · stick · cell · rash · march · rush · bore · rule

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rule — a law
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rule — government
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. march — music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rush — hurry
  19. march — the month
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rash — a series
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. content — the amount

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