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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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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: ruler · fan · snap · last · bank · swing · shower · rest

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — finally
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. rest — a break
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. shower — rain
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. last — final
  16. rest — what's left
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — to go on
  22. bank — of a river
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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