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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.

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: rule · chair · row · bay · staff · tube · drill · hand

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rule — government
  4. chair — a leader
  5. row — a line
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rule — a law
  8. tube — a container
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. staff — employees
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. drill — army training
  24. staff — employees

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