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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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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: bore · cabinet · bank · chair · march · saw · shower · rule

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — to tire
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — for money
  9. bore — to drill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rule — a law
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — government
  15. shower — rain
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — the month

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