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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: ruler · shower · rule · stem · file · face · fan · squash

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. face — to confront
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rule — government
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — rain
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rule — a law
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. face — to point toward
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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