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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: shower · mate · nail · spring · ruler · present · last · ball

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — to wash
  4. spring — the season
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. last — finally
  7. mate — a partner
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. last — final
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — of water
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spring — a coil
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. ball — a great time
  21. shower — rain
  22. present — a gift
  23. mate — a friend
  24. last — to go on

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