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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — thin
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. spell — letters
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — magic
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — to recline
  22. plane — a tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. shower — to wash

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