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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: ground · coach · ruler · rash · kid · rest · shower · stick

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kid — child
  9. rash — a series
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — a break
  22. shower — rain
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — to tease

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