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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. ball — a great time
  3. chest — a box
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fork — in a road
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. face — to confront
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tube — a container
  14. prune — to trim
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. current — of water
  18. face — part of the head
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. current — happening now
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chest — of your body

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