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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: club · ruler · lash · rule · degree · sharp · coach · roll

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. sharp — clever
  11. club — for golf
  12. rule — a law
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rule — government
  17. club — for dancing
  18. degree — an amount
  19. roll — a list
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. roll — a cake
  23. club — a group
  24. ruler — a monarch

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