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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: kick · roll · rule · stand · rush · bay · press · rash

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kick — in football
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rule — government
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rash — a series
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. press — to push
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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