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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. file — a line of people
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rest — a break
  11. file — a tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — in cards
  15. shower — rain
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. hand — help
  19. file — a document
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rest — what's left
  23. current — happening now
  24. hide — to keep secret

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