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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — hurry
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. charge — a price
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. shower — rain
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. net — in sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — to go on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — for catching
  17. last — finally
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. last — final
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. net — after costs

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