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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 · land · rock · cap · current · rule · coach · ruler

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rule — a law
  4. land — ground
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. land — to come down
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cap — a hat
  11. shower — rain
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — music
  14. current — electric
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — of water
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rule — government

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