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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. band — a ring
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stock — goods
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. kick — in football
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. band — a music group
  17. tube — a container
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. craft — boats
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. shower — to wash
  24. craft — a skill

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