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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: shower · sharp · band · scale · plane · mouse · ruler · mug

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. shower — to wash
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. shower — rain
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. band — a music group
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. plane — a 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