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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rush · pitcher · ruler · lash · cabinet · game · root · rule

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — of a word
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. game — a match
  15. root — the cause
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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