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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: chair · net · nail · last · ruler · rule · can · fall

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — in sport
  5. rule — a law
  6. last — to go on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — the season
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. net — after costs
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. net — for catching
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — final
  24. can — a tin

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