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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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. jam — a tight spot
  4. staff — a stick
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. row — a line
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. shower — to wash
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. staff — employees
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pass — a permit
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. sharp — clever
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bowl — a dish

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