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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.

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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: rule · bay · spell · fall · cold · ruler · root · rush

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rush — hurry
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rule — government
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fall — the season
  10. root — of a word
  11. rule — a law
  12. spell — magic
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spell — letters
  24. rush — to hurry

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