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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: ruler · wake · charge · nail · kick · shower · tube · rash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — in football
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — a container
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — rain
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rash — a series
  21. shower — to wash
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — a price
  24. tube — the underground

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