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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.

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: can · pound · shower · ruler · temple · lie · ball · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. clip — to cut
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. shower — rain
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ball — a great time
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pound — a weight
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. clip — a video
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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