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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 · key · stand · game · ground · bear · lash · shower

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. key — the most important part
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ground — a position
  22. game — a match
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ruler — for measuring

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