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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 116 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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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: bear · rush · rule · ruler · trunk · racket · rest · mouse

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rest — a break
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rule — a law
  22. rest — what's left
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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