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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: tube · roll · present · cabinet · deal · lean · ruler · rule

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. tube — a container
  3. roll — a cake
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. present — there
  13. roll — a list
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lean — thin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. present — the time now
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. ruler — for measuring

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