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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 116 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 · stand · hide · shower · key · tear · band · mark

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. shower — rain
  5. band — a music group
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rule — a law
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. shower — to wash
  12. band — a ring
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. key — for a lock
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rule — government
  19. stand — to bear
  20. key — the most important part
  21. tear — to rip
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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