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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 120 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: dip · net · fan · rule · fall · nail · club · rush

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. net — for catching
  4. fall — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — in sport
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. club — for dancing
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rule — a law
  18. net — after costs
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rule — government
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — a group
  24. rush — hurry

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