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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — for digging
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — help
  23. deal — a big deal
  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