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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 120 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: suit · stem · bound · plane · ruler · cabinet · shower · march

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. march — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bound — certain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. suit — in cards
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stem — to come from
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. plane — a tool
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. suit — to fit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. march — the month
  24. plane — an aircraft

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