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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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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: mouse · chest · rest · craft · hide · shower · squash · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — of your body
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. chest — of your body
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — to wash
  18. craft — boats
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chest — a box
  24. hide — animal skin

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