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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: row · shower · rock · spell · firm · ruler · bark · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. firm — a company
  4. shower — to wash
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bark — to shout
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. spell — a short time
  12. shower — rain
  13. rock — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. firm — decided
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. row — a line
  18. spell — magic
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rock — a stone
  24. firm — steady

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