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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 · tear · kick · shower · cell · can

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — government
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cell — a phone
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rule — a law
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg

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