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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mug — a face
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rash — hasty
  8. clip — a video
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rash — a series
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fine — all right
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fine — high quality
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pass — a permit

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