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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: ruler · craft · firm · fan · shower · kid · kick · mine

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — boats
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — decided
  9. shower — to wash
  10. firm — a company
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mine — for digging
  20. firm — steady
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. shower — rain
  24. kid — child

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