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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. shower — to wash
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rash — a series
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. charge — in control
  9. shower — rain
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. present — there
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. charge — electricity
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bear — the animal
  20. charge — a price
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. present — the time now

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