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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. file — a tool
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. file — a line of people
  11. object — a thing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. object — to protest
  14. cell — in biology
  15. band — a ring
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. band — a music group
  19. shower — to wash
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. file — a document
  23. charge — in control
  24. object — an aim

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