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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rule — government
  3. bat — the animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — in music
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wound — an injury
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wound — an injury
  11. court — of law
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. court — for sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. court — of a king
  23. rule — a law
  24. sharp — clever

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