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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. band — a ring
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. band — a music group
  24. bay — a horse colour

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