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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: wake · coach · shower · club · lie · key · ruler · deal

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. club — for golf
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — the most important part
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. shower — rain
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lie — to recline
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — to wash
  24. deal — an agreement

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