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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 · deal · shower · band · file · jam · racket · lie

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. file — a tool
  3. rule — government
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. deal — to handle
  14. band — a ring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. file — a document
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rule — a law
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. shower — rain
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. band — a music group
  24. shower — to wash

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