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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: object · hide · sharp · mouse · ruler · shower · fall · pitch

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fall — the season
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — to protest
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitch — completely
  12. shower — rain
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — a thing
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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