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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: rule · shower · bank · straw · chip · ruler · firm · field

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. field — for sport
  13. chip — to eat
  14. firm — a company
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bank — for money
  17. field — a subject
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. firm — decided
  20. field — farmland
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rule — a law
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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