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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. squash — to crush
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kid — child
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. ground — crushed
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ground — a position
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. season — of the year
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — a stick
  21. season — in sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — the earth
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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