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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 120 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pound — a weight
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. spring — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — the season
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — rain
  19. can — a tin
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pound — for dogs

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