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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: stick · nail · face · shower · suit · ruler · sharp · tear

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. suit — to fit
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. shower — rain
  22. sharp — clever
  23. face — to point toward
  24. suit — clothes

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