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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: rule · date · rash · spring · land · ruler · lean · can

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. lean — thin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — to come down
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. land — a country
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. land — ground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to bend
  13. spring — the season
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rule — a law
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spring — of water
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rash — hasty
  23. can — a tin
  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