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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. shower — rain
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — to wash
  7. track — a path
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. court — for sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. court — of a king
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — in cards
  17. track — to keep track
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. track — a song
  20. court — of law
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lash — to lash out
  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