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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: can · rush · net · tube · shower · saw · key · ruler

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rush — hurry
  9. net — in sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — to wash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — a container
  18. net — after costs
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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