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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: shower · lash · pitcher · ruler · sharp · cell · saw · rush

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cell — in biology
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cell — a phone
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rush — to hurry

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