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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 120 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 · ruler · trunk · key · cold · dip · shower · track

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — not warm
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cold — an illness
  11. dip — to sink
  12. key — the most important part
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. can — to be able to
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. track — a path

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