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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · lie · rule · cabinet · spell · spring · shower · rock

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rule — a law
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — to visit
  7. spring — the season
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — music
  11. rule — government
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. shower — rain
  15. spring — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pop — soda
  20. spell — magic
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pop — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cabinet — ministers

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