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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pop — soda
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pop — to visit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — to wash
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pop — music
  13. shower — rain
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — a list
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cap — a lid
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kid — child

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