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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mug — to rob
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — a price
  23. mug — a face
  24. 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