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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · foot · date · hide · rule · cold · charge · board

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rule — a law
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cold — an illness
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. foot — a measure
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. charge — in control

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