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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · rule · arm · stand · bore · object · shower · march

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rule — government
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rule — a law
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. shower — rain
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. march — music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stand — for spectators

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