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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.

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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: tear · drill · mouse · club · bound · rule · press · safe

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rule — government
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. club — a group
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rule — a law
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. press — to push
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. press — a publisher
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tear — to rip
  21. press — newspapers
  22. club — for golf
  23. bound — certain
  24. mouse — the animal

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