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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.

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: hide · lean · ruler · fine · rule · roll · game · cell

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. game — a match
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — a phone
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. rule — government
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. roll — a list
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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