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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rock — music
  3. spell — magic
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — a song
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spell — a short time
  12. shower — rain
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — letters
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rock — a stone
  17. track — to keep track
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — a path
  24. saw — the tool

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