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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 · lie · can · bat · ruler · nail · tube · roll

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. roll — a list
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. shower — rain
  16. bat — the animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. tube — a container
  24. lie — an untruth

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