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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 116 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: present · ruler · pound · staff · shower · cap · net · hide

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — rain
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. net — after costs
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — a gift
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. present — the time now
  24. staff — employees

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