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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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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: object · tube · ruler · mark · stick · shower · wake · wind

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mark — a trace
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — to protest
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tube — a container
  10. object — an aim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wake — a trail

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