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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 120 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: race · tube · bound · lash · fine · rule · ball · ruler

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. ball — a dance
  3. race — the arms race
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fine — high quality
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. race — a contest
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — all right
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bound — certain
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — government
  22. ball — a great time
  23. race — humankind
  24. bound — tied together

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