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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 · perch · suit · chair · lie · shower · board · kick

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chair — a leader
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rule — a law
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. suit — in cards
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. perch — the fish
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. shower — rain
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lie — to recline
  18. suit — to fit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kick — in football
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — government
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. suit — clothes

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