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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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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: fine · safe · ruler · can · rest · bat · mine · rule

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — high quality
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rule — government
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mine — for digging
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — a law
  21. can — a tin
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fine — a penalty

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