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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kid — child
  3. row — a line
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. suit — in cards
  6. march — the month
  7. row — to paddle
  8. shower — to wash
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pit — a hole
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. march — music
  15. shower — rain
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. kid — to tease
  20. march — the month
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pit — in a race
  24. row — a quarrel

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