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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: current · press · board · rule · fall · ruler

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. board — a committee
  5. current — of water
  6. press — a publisher
  7. board — to get on
  8. press — newspapers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rule — a law
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — the season
  15. press — to push
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fall — to drop

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