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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: foot · roll · lean · hand · ruler · wake · shower · safe

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — a trail
  7. roll — a cake
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. shower — rain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. roll — a list
  15. hand — help
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lean — thin
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — a measure

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