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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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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: ruler · mug · rash · rule · saw · deal · chair · chest

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rash — a series
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chest — a box
  6. rash — hasty
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rule — government
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rule — a law
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mug — a face
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  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