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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. last — finally
  8. cap — of ice
  9. last — final
  10. kick — in football
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. last — to go on
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wake — a trail
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — a hat
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cap — a lid
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kick — with a leg

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