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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · row · current · key · kid · sharp · ruler · shower

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. current — happening now
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — the most important part
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kid — to tease
  12. row — to paddle
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. current — electric
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — of water
  18. row — a line
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. kid — child
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. shower — rain

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