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

Word bank: rule · ruler · mug · mate · fall · straw

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rule — a law
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mug — a face
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rule — government
  18. mate — a partner

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