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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. file — a line of people
  5. shower — rain
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — to come down
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. file — a document
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. land — a country
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — ground
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rush — hurry

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