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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
468
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: drill · pound · mark · rash · mouse · rule · leaves · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — a law
  3. rash — a series
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rash — hasty
  19. can — a tin
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rule — government
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rash — on the skin

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