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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: wave · dip · cabinet · foot · shower · stick · ruler · rush

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. shower — rain
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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