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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: toast · rule · fall · rash · kid · fine · roll · lie

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rule — government
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kid — child
  9. rule — a law
  10. lie — to recline
  11. roll — a cake
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. toast — bread
  24. rash — on the skin

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