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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 120 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: hide · bowl · club · ruler · rule · shower · field · wave

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. field — for sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. shower — rain
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rule — government
  9. shower — to wash
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. club — a group
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. field — a subject
  16. rule — a law
  17. field — farmland
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. club — for golf

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