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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: leaves · shower · kick · wind · ruler · object · fan · saw

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — in football
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. object — an aim
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. object — a thing
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. object — to protest
  19. shower — rain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kick — with a leg

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