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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. shower — rain
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. drill — army training
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lean — thin
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lean — to rest against

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