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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: toast · board · sharp · track · ruler · can · shower · rush

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. track — a song
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. shower — rain
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. track — a path
  9. can — to be able to
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rush — hurry
  13. track — to keep track
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. can — a tin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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