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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cap — a lid
  7. shower — rain
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. staff — a stick
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. drill — army training
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cap — of ice
  14. drill — a practice
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. cap — a hat
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. drill — the tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fork — a garden tool

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