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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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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: staff · snap · shower · ruler · rock · band · row · prune

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. snap — to click
  6. band — a ring
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. staff — employees
  10. shower — rain
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. prune — to trim
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — a stone
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. band — a music group
  21. shower — to wash
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. row — a line
  24. band — a rubber band

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