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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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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: racket · ruler · dip · rule · cold · rash

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rule — a law
  6. dip — to sink
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rash — a series
  10. cold — not warm
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — government
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. racket — a loud noise

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