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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — shares
  9. land — to come down
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stock — goods
  14. land — ground
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cue — a hint
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pound — a weight
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. can — a tin
  22. land — a country
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. cue — a signal

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