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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.

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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ground — the earth
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. swing — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ground — crushed
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rule — government
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rule — a law
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — the season
  24. ruler — a monarch

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