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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mug — a face
  4. craft — boats
  5. present — a gift
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lie — to recline
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — in sport
  10. present — the time now
  11. cue — a signal
  12. snap — to click
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — after costs
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mug — a cup
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. net — for catching
  22. present — there
  23. cue — for pool
  24. craft — a skill

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