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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. shower — rain
  3. club — a group
  4. shower — to wash
  5. object — a thing
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. object — to protest
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rock — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. club — for golf
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. object — an aim
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hide — to keep secret

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