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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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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: rule · nail · mate · drill · press · net · jam · ruler

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rule — a law
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — for catching
  11. rule — government
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. press — to push
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mate — to breed
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — in sport
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. net — after costs

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