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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.

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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: lie · rule · stick · rock · fall · suit · board · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lie — to recline
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. club — a group
  10. board — a committee
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — to get on
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — for golf
  23. suit — clothes
  24. fall — the season

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