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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 · club · rest · fall · wake · straw · bear · present

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. bear — the animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. present — the time now
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. club — a group
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rest — a break
  14. club — for dancing
  15. present — there
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — for golf
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fall — the season
  21. present — a gift
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wake — before a funeral

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