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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · pitcher · ruler · clip · saw · ground · shower · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — the earth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. clip — a video
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. clip — for paper
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. saw — the tool
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rash — hasty
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — rain
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rash — a series
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. saw — the 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