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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: scale · ruler · shower · face · bore · fine · bass · cold

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — low music
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cold — an illness
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. bass — the fish
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fine — all right
  14. face — to confront
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cold — not warm
  23. scale — in music
  24. ruler — a monarch

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