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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — hurry
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rest — a break
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — a law
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rule — government
  18. 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