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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: hand · chest · bass · ruler · cue · shower · mouse · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. row — a line
  5. cue — for pool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — rain
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. cue — a hint
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chest — a box
  24. ruler — a monarch

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