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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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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: suit · saw · land · ruler · fork · kick · fine · shower

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. saw — the tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. shower — rain
  10. suit — in cards
  11. land — ground
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fine — all right
  17. land — to come down
  18. kick — in football
  19. land — a country
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — high quality
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. suit — to fit

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