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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: shower · lean · last · cap · bulb · track · racket · ruler

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lean — to bend
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — a lid
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. last — final
  19. shower — rain
  20. bulb — for light
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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