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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. current — of water
  4. land — ground
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rush — hurry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. current — happening now
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. current — electric
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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