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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. object — an aim
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. object — to protest
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — a thing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. safe — a strongbox

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