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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: nail · track · lean · fall · rule · spring · wave · stand

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. track — a path
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lean — thin
  9. fall — the season
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lean — to bend
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. track — a song
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spring — of water
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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