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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: bear · kick · shower · stand · fine · dip · ruler · mug

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fine — all right
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mug — to rob
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kick — in football
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mug — a face
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fine — a penalty

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