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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · chip · shower · ruler · stand · present

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lean — thin
  3. shower — to wash
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. present — there
  7. shower — rain
  8. present — the time now
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. present — a gift
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lean — to bend

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