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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: mate · perch · row · rule · rash · ruler · race · charge

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rash — a series
  3. rule — government
  4. race — humankind
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. race — a contest
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rule — a law
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rash — hasty
  14. race — the arms race
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mate — to breed
  18. charge — a price
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. 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