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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pop — soda
  5. shower — to wash
  6. kid — child
  7. pop — to visit
  8. kid — to tease
  9. present — there
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. charge — in control
  12. ball — a great time
  13. charge — electricity
  14. snap — to click
  15. shower — rain
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — a gift
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. present — the time now
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. charge — a price
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pop — music
  24. ball — a dance

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