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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: shower · ruler · deal · mouse · fine · wound · leaves · bay

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. shower — to wash
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. shower — rain
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wound — an injury

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