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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: game · wake · lash · ruler · rush · rule · bound · ball

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rule — government
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. game — a match
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bound — certain
  19. rule — a law
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rush — hurry
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rule — to rule out

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