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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 · stick · mouse · clip · stem · roll · land · rush

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rule — government
  3. roll — a list
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. clip — a video
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. land — ground
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rush — hurry
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rule — a law
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. roll — a cake

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