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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · scale · deal · mate · ruler · fine · pitcher · shower

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fine — all right
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. shower — rain
  16. scale — in music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mate — a friend
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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