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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 116 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pop — soda
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pop — to visit
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. hand — help
  12. pop — music
  13. march — the month
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spell — letters
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hand — in cards
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. racket — for tennis
  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