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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 116 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: current · mate · hide · ruler · drill · fan · rule · lash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. current — happening now
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. drill — a practice
  11. current — electric
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — of water
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — government
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rule — a law
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — to breed
  23. drill — army training
  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