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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: hand · stem · wind · drill · rule · rush · charge · craft

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rule — a law
  3. charge — in control
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rule — government
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. charge — a price
  13. stem — to come from
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rush — hurry
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. hand — help
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. drill — the tool

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