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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 116 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: shower · rule · coach · key · rock · cap · can · lean

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — government
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cap — of ice
  7. shower — to wash
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — rain
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rule — a law
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lean — thin
  14. can — a tin
  15. key — in music
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rock — a stone
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rock — music
  23. can — to be able to
  24. key — the most important part

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