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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: bear · rule · fine · craft · hide · tube · field · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rule — a law
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. craft — boats
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. field — a subject
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — army training
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. rule — government

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