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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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Word bank
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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: row · chest · ruler · shower · craft · foot

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. row — to paddle
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. craft — boats
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — a skill
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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