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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: mug · hand · track · bank · shower · ruler · object · sharp

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bank — for money
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — rain
  11. object — to protest
  12. mug — a face
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. track — a song
  15. hand — help
  16. mug — to rob
  17. object — an aim
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. object — a thing
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. track — a path

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