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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: cold · rash · rule · board · deal · fine · shower · pound

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. board — to get on
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rule — a law
  5. board — a committee
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rash — a series
  10. rule — government
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. shower — rain
  17. cold — an illness
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fine — all right
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. deal — a big deal
  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