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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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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: fall · row · rash · wake · stock · pitcher · ruler · press

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. row — a line
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — to drop
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — the season
  17. stock — goods
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. press — a publisher

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