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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: jam · mouse · rule · chest · nail · lie · chair · shower

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chest — a box
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. chair — a leader
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chest — of your body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — a law
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. shower — rain
  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