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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 116 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. squash — to crush
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. court — for sport
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — the sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — of law
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. court — of a king
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — to come from

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