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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: mug · shower · bank · cell · kick · rule · chair · board

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. cell — in biology
  6. board — to get on
  7. kick — in football
  8. rule — a law
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mug — to rob
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bank — for money
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. board — a committee
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — a face
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rule — government

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