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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rash — hasty
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. spring — of water
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fall — to drop
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rash — a series
  14. spring — the season
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — after costs
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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