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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: shower · fall · lean · chip · net · deal · cabinet · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chip — to eat
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. net — in sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. net — for catching
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. shower — rain
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fall — the season
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chip — for betting
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lean — thin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — after costs
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — a law
  24. shower — to wash

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