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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fine — all right
  6. shower — rain
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fine — high quality
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rush — to hurry

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