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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 · rock · mouse · cap · drill · race · stem · mate

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rule — government
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rock — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — a friend
  23. race — a contest
  24. cap — a lid

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