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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 116 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: rule · ruler · kid · charge · spring · rest

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rule — government
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — a coil
  7. charge — a price
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — of water
  10. charge — in control
  11. spring — the season
  12. rule — a law
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — to tease
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kid — child
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ruler — a monarch

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