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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mark — a grade
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — a thing
  7. rule — government
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rash — hasty
  12. object — an aim
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rash — a series
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rule — a law
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. object — to protest
  24. mark — a trace

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