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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · straw · lash · game · cold · rush · bore · nail

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. game — a match
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cold — not warm
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cold — an illness
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bore — to drill
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rule — government

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