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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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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: drill · spell · lean · coach · net · rule · cell · hand

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lean — to bend
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. lean — thin
  6. rule — a law
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. drill — army training
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. net — for catching
  13. drill — the tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. net — after costs
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. spell — letters
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hand — help
  21. rule — government
  22. hand — in cards
  23. net — in sport
  24. coach — a trainer

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