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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rest — what's left
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. hand — help
  16. club — for dancing
  17. hand — in cards
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. shower — rain
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lean — thin
  24. fan — to cool the air

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