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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: tube · board · rule · rush · ground · lie · tear · net

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rule — a law
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — in sport
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. net — for catching
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. tube — a container
  16. rush — hurry
  17. net — after costs
  18. board — a committee
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. tear — to rip
  21. ground — the earth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rule — government
  24. lie — to recline

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