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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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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: wake · plane · shower · stand · kick · rule · bank · club

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bank — of a river
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rule — a law
  10. bank — for money
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. club — for golf
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — in football
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. shower — rain
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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