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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · sharp · ruler · swing · chair · mine · leaves · mate

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mine — for digging
  8. shower — rain
  9. mate — a friend
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. swing — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mate — a partner
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. shower — to wash

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