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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: ruler · rest · firm · board · rule · ball · snap · race

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. firm — decided
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — a break
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. race — humankind
  13. rule — government
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ball — a dance
  17. race — a contest
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. board — a committee
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a great time
  23. board — to get on
  24. snap — to click

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