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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: chair · rule · drill · game · root · fine · lash · wake

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rule — a law
  3. root — of a word
  4. fine — high quality
  5. game — wild animals
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. root — the cause
  10. rule — government
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. drill — army training
  17. fine — all right
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. game — a match
  21. chair — a leader
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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