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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: ruler · foot · shower · present · mark · band · wax · deal

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wax — to grow
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a ring
  12. mark — a trace
  13. shower — rain
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. band — a music group
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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