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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: ground · rash · shower · board · snap · rule

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. shower — rain
  3. ground — the earth
  4. board — to get on
  5. rule — a law
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rash — a series
  11. ground — a position
  12. rule — government
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. shower — to wash
  18. snap — to click

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