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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: race · shower · cabinet · trunk · spell · ruler · rule · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. spell — letters
  4. race — the arms race
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. shower — to wash
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spell — magic
  12. rule — a law
  13. march — the month
  14. race — a contest
  15. rule — government
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spell — a short time
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. race — humankind
  20. march — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — rain
  24. trunk — of a tree

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