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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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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: squash · rule · pit · bowl · branch · face · rest · drill

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pit — a hole
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — to crush
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. drill — army training
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. face — part of the head
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rule — government
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — what's left
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rule — a law
  24. face — to confront

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