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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
468
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 · nail · ball · straw · bound · shower · fall · temple

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fall — the season
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — certain
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. shower — rain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. shower — to wash
  24. temple — side of the head

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