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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: board · chair · ruler · wind · trunk · rush · cabinet · shower

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — rain
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. board — a committee
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. board — to get on
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. board — a flat piece

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