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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 120 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. club — a group
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tear — from crying
  6. club — for golf
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. suit — clothes
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. club — for dancing
  14. tear — from crying
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tear — to rip
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. shower — rain

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