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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: kid · mate · fall · nail · shower · object · ruler · track

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. object — an aim
  5. fall — to drop
  6. track — a song
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kid — to tease
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — to protest
  14. track — a path
  15. object — a thing
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fall — the season
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. track — to keep track
  21. shower — to wash
  22. kid — child
  23. shower — rain
  24. mate — a friend

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