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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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. stock — goods
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rest — a break
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fall — the season
  20. capital — a city
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fall — to drop

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