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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. object — a thing
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. object — an aim
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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