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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: board · safe · lash · straw · ruler · rule · fall · chip

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rule — government
  12. chip — to eat
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. board — to get on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. board — a committee
  21. rule — a law
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fall — to drop

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