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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 · board · kid · straw · stand · hide · cabinet

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — rain
  8. rule — a law
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kid — child
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. board — a committee
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stand — to bear
  23. board — to get on
  24. kid — to tease

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