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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. spring — of water
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rock — music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mate — to breed
  24. hand — in cards

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