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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: track · shower · can · bulb · rule · squash · bark · cabinet

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. track — a song
  4. rule — government
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rule — a law
  9. shower — rain
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. track — a path
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. track — to keep track
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bark — to shout
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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