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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · ruler · mark · net · lean · squash · shower · pitcher

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. kid — to tease
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lean — thin
  10. kid — child
  11. squash — the sport
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — for catching
  16. lean — to bend
  17. squash — to crush
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. net — after costs
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — a jug

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