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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: spring · kick · saw · shower · bat · rock · rule · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rule — a law
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rock — music
  12. spring — the season
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. kick — in football
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. saw — the tool
  19. shower — rain
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  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