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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: rule · can · bark · fan · rush · cap · pitcher · temple

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bark — to shout
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rush — hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rule — a law
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. can — to be able to

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