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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 · rash · mate · bay · saw · rest · root · bowl

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — a break
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. root — of a word
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — government
  22. rest — what's left
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bowl — a football final

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