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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 120 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 · cap · spell · shower · ruler · foot · stick · craft

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cap — a hat
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — magic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cap — of ice
  12. shower — rain
  13. spell — letters
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. present — there
  17. craft — boats
  18. foot — a measure
  19. present — the time now
  20. spell — a short time
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — a gift
  24. ruler — a monarch

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