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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: mouse · shower · rest · cabinet · lie · cap · chest · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. shower — rain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chest — a box
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — a break
  17. lie — to recline
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mouse — 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