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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: kick · foot · ruler · bore · rule · rest · club · lie

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — a law
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. club — a group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. club — for dancing
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rest — a break
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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