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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 116 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 · can · net · coach · hide · tear · fork · shower

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — to rip
  4. net — in sport
  5. shower — rain
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tear — from crying
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — after costs
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fork — in a road
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — for catching
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — a tin

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