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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 120 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 · ground · stick · rule · object · wave · fall · chest

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. object — an aim
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ground — a position
  8. rule — a law
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chest — a box
  16. ground — the earth
  17. object — a thing
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — to protest
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rule — government

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