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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 · temple · fork · firm · stick · rule · dip · rash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fork — in a road
  7. firm — steady
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. firm — decided
  17. rule — government
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rule — a law
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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