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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 · rule · spell · branch · mouse · ruler · dip · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rule — government
  4. spell — magic
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. spring — of water
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spell — letters
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. shower — rain
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — a law
  20. branch — a division
  21. spring — the season
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. spring — a coil

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