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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: mate · fall · perch · rule · bore · roll · fine · stand

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rule — a law
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mate — a friend
  9. roll — a list
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fine — all right
  23. fall — the season
  24. stand — on your feet

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