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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: prune · mouse · shower · ruler · sharp · bass · saw · kick

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — low music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. shower — rain
  24. mouse — the animal

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