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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 120 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: rule · mug · rush · fall · chip · bound · net · sharp

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a cup
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mug — a face
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — to rob
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bound — certain
  22. net — after costs
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rush — hurry

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