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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bank — for money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — the underground
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. row — to paddle
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — rain
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. tube — a container
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. row — a line
  23. tube — in a tire
  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