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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. staff — employees
  3. capital — a city
  4. staff — a stick
  5. kick — in football
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rush — hurry
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. shower — rain
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. capital — money
  19. shower — to wash
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — low music
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. roll — a list
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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