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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
468
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: stand · rash · racket · mate · saw · rule · rush · toast

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rule — government
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rush — hurry
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rule — a law
  16. mate — to breed
  17. toast — bread
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. racket — for tennis

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