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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: ruler · lean · stand · date · shower · trunk · wave · content

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. content — happy
  11. lean — to bend
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lean — thin
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. content — the amount
  19. shower — to wash
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. shower — rain
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wave — of the sea

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