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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: calf · fall · spring · drill · ground · jam · rule · wave

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. drill — a practice
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fall — the season
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. spring — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spring — a coil
  21. drill — army training
  22. rule — government
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rule — to rule out

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