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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 120 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: ruler · scale · file · chest · cue · wound · shower · bark

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. scale — size or range
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — in music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chest — a box
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cue — for pool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cue — a signal

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