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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — for catching
  4. wind — moving air
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. shower — rain
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pit — in a race
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. net — after costs
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — in sport
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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