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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: bear · deal · ruler · kid · stick · face · rock · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kid — child
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. shower — to wash
  10. face — part of the head
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. shower — rain
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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