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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. swing — music
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — there
  13. shower — rain
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. firm — a company
  18. shower — to wash
  19. firm — decided
  20. track — a song
  21. drill — army training
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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