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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: ruler · deal · stick · fine · lie · spring · shower · saw

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — of water
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fine — high quality
  6. spring — the season
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. shower — rain
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fine — all right
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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