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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
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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: rash · field · saw · press · rule · fall · cue · craft

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cue — a hint
  4. field — farmland
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — government
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rash — hasty
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — boats
  13. rash — a series
  14. field — a subject
  15. fall — the season
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. press — to push
  19. cue — a signal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — for sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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