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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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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: last · rule · nail · cold · rock · press · bat · ruler

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cold — not warm
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cold — an illness
  15. last — final
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. press — to push
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. last — finally
  24. rule — a law

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