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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. shower — rain
  4. mug — to rob
  5. suit — to fit
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. staff — employees
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fall — to drop
  11. suit — clothes
  12. staff — employees
  13. mug — a face
  14. suit — in cards
  15. sharp — clever
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. snap — to click
  18. fall — the season
  19. mug — a cup
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. staff — a stick
  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