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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mate — to breed
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — to wash
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. row — a line
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. saw — the tool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. suit — to fit
  21. snap — to click
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pit — a hole
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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