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

Word bank: lie · rule · fall · file · ruler · stand

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rule — government
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. file — a document
  14. stand — to bear
  15. file — a line of people
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law

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