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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: sharp · tube · rule · toast · lie · shower · rash · board

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rule — a law
  8. tube — a container
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tube — the underground
  12. shower — rain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. board — a committee
  18. rash — a series
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. shower — to wash
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. board — to get on

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