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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: toast · scale · bat · staff · shower · ruler · leaves · mate

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. toast — bread
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. shower — rain
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. mate — a partner
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bat — the animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. shower — to wash
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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