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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: ball · shower · ruler · drill · sharp · track · lie · craft

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. craft — boats
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. track — a path
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lie — to recline
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a dance
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ball — a great time
  21. drill — army training
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. sharp — with an edge

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