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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: rest · ruler · bound · drill · rule · field · wax · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rule — a law
  3. field — for sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — farmland
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rest — a break
  12. field — a subject
  13. bound — certain
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. drill — army training
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — government
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wax — to grow
  24. drill — a practice

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