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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: mug · rush · content · shower · vault · rule · bat · ruler

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. mug — a face
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. content — the amount
  14. shower — rain
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mug — a cup
  19. vault — a safe
  20. content — happy
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — government
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bat — in an idiom

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