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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: hand · rule · tear · drill · mug · net · saw · ball

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rule — government
  3. drill — the tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mug — a cup
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mug — a face
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rule — a law
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hand — help
  22. tear — from crying
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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