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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: plane · saw · mine · bark · drill · charge · pass · rule

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pass — a permit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. charge — in control
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. drill — army training
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rule — a law
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rule — government
  22. charge — a price
  23. drill — the tool
  24. plane — a tool

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