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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: net · march · leaves · rush · shower · game · trunk · ruler

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. game — a match
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. shower — rain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. march — music
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. net — after costs
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rush — hurry
  21. net — in sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. march — the month

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