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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: root · ruler · nail · mouse · lean · lash · shower · row

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. row — a line
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lean — thin
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. root — the cause
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — to wash

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