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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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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 · fall · suit · bark · spring · bowl · lash · rule

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. drill — army training
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — a coil
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fall — the season
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. spring — the season
  22. drill — a practice
  23. spring — of water
  24. bark — of a tree

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