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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. track — to keep track
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. track — a song
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — a stick
  13. shower — rain
  14. track — a path
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — employees
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — employees
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. deal — to handle
  24. shower — to wash

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