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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fine — all right
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fine — high quality
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. club — for golf
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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