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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: track · kid · lash · land · shower · safe · mate · ruler

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. shower — rain
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kid — to tease
  8. shower — to wash
  9. land — ground
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — a path
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mate — to breed
  19. land — a country
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — to come down
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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