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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: date · stand · ruler · tear · roll · shower · wave · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tear — to rip
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. tear — from crying
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. roll — a list
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. shower — rain
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ball — a great time
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tear — from crying
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. roll — on a roll

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