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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 120 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 · arm · cap · race · lash · track · perch · shower

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. track — to keep track
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cap — a lid
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cap — of ice
  12. track — a path
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — humankind
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. shower — to wash
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. race — a contest
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. track — a song
  23. shower — rain
  24. arm — a part of something

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