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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 120 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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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: row · rush · rule · trunk · bore · file · chip · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bore — to drill
  6. shower — rain
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rule — a law
  14. shower — to wash
  15. chip — to eat
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. file — a tool
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rule — government
  24. file — a document

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