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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. tube — a container
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. charge — electricity
  14. swing — in golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. swing — music
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — the underground
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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