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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: rule · hand · mate · stand · rash · bear · row · rock

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hand — help
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rock — music
  19. rule — government
  20. row — a line
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rule — a law
  24. row — to paddle

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