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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: key · stick · shower · tube · ruler · rash · present · hide

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — for a lock
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. present — the time now
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. present — there
  14. tube — the underground
  15. present — a gift
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. tube — a container
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — a series

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