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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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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: rule · chip · cap · ruler · spring · nail · tear · bank

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. spring — of water
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cap — of ice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bank — for money
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rule — a law
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rule — government
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — for betting

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