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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — rain
  5. rule — government
  6. mug — a face
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rule — a law
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rule — to rule out

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