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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 120 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: mark · face · court · rule · spell · drill · rash · object

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mark — a trace
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. face — to point toward
  9. object — an aim
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. object — a thing
  15. spell — magic
  16. court — for sport
  17. drill — army training
  18. court — of law
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rule — a law
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. court — of a king
  23. object — to protest
  24. face — to confront

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