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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · bowl · mouse · drill · fan · season · ground · snap

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. drill — a practice
  3. snap — to click
  4. drill — army training
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. season — of the year
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ground — a position
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ground — crushed

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