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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: bay · ruler · shower · bulb · hide · fork · wake · net

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. net — after costs
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bulb — of a plant

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