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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 116 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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 — to wash
  2. bass — the fish
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fine — all right
  5. mark — a grade
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mark — a trace
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bass — low music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. charge — in control
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. charge — a price
  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