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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
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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: net · mate · bear · rule · rush · wound · drill · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — army training
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rule — government
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rush — hurry
  24. net — after costs

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