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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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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: land · rule · drill · race · wave · rock · fork · staff

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. race — humankind
  4. staff — employees
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rock — a stone
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. land — a country
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. land — ground
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. land — to come down
  24. wave — with your hand

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