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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 116 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: ruler · squash · fall · craft · rush · stem · shower · fan

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fall — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — boats
  12. fall — to drop
  13. shower — rain
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — to wash
  20. squash — to crush
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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