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

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. current — happening now
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. current — electric
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fall — the season
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — of water
  24. suit — clothes

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