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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bear — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bass — low music
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. roll — a list
  22. bass — the fish
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rash — a series

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