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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · squash · drill · rule · pop · staff · fine · fall

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. staff — employees
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — a practice
  11. swing — to play on
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. rule — a law
  18. swing — music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. squash — the sport
  21. drill — army training
  22. fall — the season
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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