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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 120 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: cue · ruler · lean · net · fall · mark · deal · kick

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. net — after costs
  5. fall — the season
  6. cue — a signal
  7. net — for catching
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lean — thin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lean — to bend
  21. net — in sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cue — for pool

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