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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: rule · fall · fine · deal · wake · race · roll · rock

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rule — government
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rule — a law
  10. race — humankind
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fall — the season
  15. rock — music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. race — a contest
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fine — all right
  21. fall — to drop
  22. deal — to handle
  23. roll — a list
  24. rock — a stone

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