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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 116 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: ruler · rule · content · fan · fall · row · fine · vault

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rule — government
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a line
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — to paddle
  16. content — happy
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fine — high quality
  19. content — the amount
  20. rule — a law
  21. fine — all right
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fall — the season

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