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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 · ruler · kid · mate · mine · rash · march · nail

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mate — a friend
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rash — a series
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — hasty
  14. march — music
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kid — child
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ruler — for measuring

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