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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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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: stick · bank · kid · ruler · key · shower · squash · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mark — a trace
  4. kid — to tease
  5. key — in music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — rain
  9. bank — for money
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mark — a grade
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bank — for money
  15. kid — child
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ruler — for measuring

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