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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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. spell — letters
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. board — to get on
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a committee
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. shower — to wash
  18. roll — a cake
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rest — a break
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spell — magic
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. roll — a list

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