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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: object · drill · chip · arm · shower · wound · stock · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. drill — a practice
  3. shower — rain
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rule — government
  8. object — to protest
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rule — a law
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. object — an aim
  19. stock — shares
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stock — goods
  22. drill — army training
  23. chip — for betting
  24. object — a thing

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