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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: current · rule · object · foot · hide · roll · hand · ruler

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. object — to protest
  3. rule — a law
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — government
  6. hand — in cards
  7. current — electric
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. object — a thing
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. object — an aim
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. hand — help
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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