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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: spring · bulb · ruler · shower · saw · last · pitcher · leaves

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. last — finally
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spring — the season
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. last — to go on
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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