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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — hasty
  6. game — a match
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. game — wild animals
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rule — government
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rule — a law

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