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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stock — shares
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stock — goods
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. land — a country
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. shower — rain

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