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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: shower · pop · ruler · file · stock · chest · mark · leaves

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pop — soda
  15. shower — rain
  16. pop — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. file — a tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chest — of your body

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