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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: ruler · leaves · shower · fall · deal · key · band · lie

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. key — in music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — rain
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. band — a ring
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a music group
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fall — the season
  24. band — a rubber band

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