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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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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: net · shower · stick · ruler · hide · rule

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rule — government
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. net — after costs
  8. rule — a law
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. net — for catching
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — in sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — animal skin

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