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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: foot · ruler · tube · rash · rule · saw · shower · stock

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rule — government
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rule — a law
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — rain
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — a container
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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