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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: drill · shower · ruler · rule · capital · leaves · bulb · rush

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — hurry
  13. drill — army training
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rule — government
  18. capital — money
  19. drill — the tool
  20. shower — rain
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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