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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: fall · bound · swing · rash · net · land · rule · wax

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fall — to drop
  4. net — in sport
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. land — a country
  9. net — after costs
  10. land — to come down
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rash — a series
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. net — for catching
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rule — government
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fall — the season
  20. rule — a law
  21. land — ground
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wax — to grow
  24. swing — music

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