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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pop — music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mark — a grade
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. shower — rain
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pop — soda
  13. spell — letters
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — magic
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. suit — in cards
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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