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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: shower · land · ruler · mouse · rush · tube · temple · nail

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. land — to come down
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. tube — the underground
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — a container
  11. land — a country
  12. shower — to wash
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. rush — hurry
  24. shower — rain

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