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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fall — the season
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — to point toward
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — in control
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. charge — a price
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fall — to drop

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