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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: shower · chip · lean · ruler · bear · rule

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rule — a law
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. shower — rain
  10. lean — thin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rule — government
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring

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