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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. shower — rain
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pop — soda
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. sharp — clever
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pop — music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — to visit

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