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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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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: bowl · saw · kid · shower · arm · ruler · deal · dip

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kid — child
  17. shower — rain
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. deal — an agreement

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