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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — a price
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. net — in sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. object — an aim
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. charge — electricity
  14. net — for catching
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. charge — in control
  19. object — a thing
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — after costs
  22. rush — hurry
  23. prune — to trim
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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