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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 116 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: rash · rule · lash · tube · file · rest · game · stick

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rash — a series
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rule — a law
  13. tube — a container
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tube — the underground
  17. file — a tool
  18. game — a match
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a document
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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