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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: ground · leaves · shower · lash · rule · current · dip · cue

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rule — a law
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. ground — a position
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cue — a signal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. shower — rain
  11. rule — government
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — the earth
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. cue — for pool
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cue — a hint
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. current — happening now
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. dip — to sink
  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