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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: nail · wake · deal · shower · ruler · cue · perch · kid

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wake — a trail
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. shower — rain
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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