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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wound — an injury
  3. object — to protest
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. object — an aim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. tube — a container
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — a thing
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wound — past of 'wind'

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