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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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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 · drill · patient · fork · fall · object · roll · wound

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. object — a thing
  5. roll — a list
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — a law
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — the season
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. object — to protest
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fork — to eat with

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