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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spring · game · track · rash · arm · ruler · plane · rule

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rule — a law
  8. spring — of water
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rule — government
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. track — a path
  15. game — wild animals
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rash — a series
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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