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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: cell · suit · staff · rule · file · board · ground · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. cell — in biology
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. board — a committee
  7. ground — a position
  8. rule — a law
  9. file — a document
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cell — a phone
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rule — government
  17. file — a tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ground — the earth
  23. suit — clothes
  24. board — to get on

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