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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. shower — rain
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. firm — steady
  6. fall — the season
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — a company
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fine — all right
  13. board — a committee
  14. firm — decided
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fine — high quality
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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