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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 120 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: object · bear · rule · spring · can · track · drill · hand

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rule — a law
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. drill — a practice
  6. object — a thing
  7. hand — help
  8. spring — the season
  9. track — a song
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. rule — government
  13. hand — in cards
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. object — an aim
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. object — to protest
  22. spring — of water
  23. track — a path
  24. can — a tin

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