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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a dance
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rest — what's left
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — in golf
  10. last — finally
  11. swing — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. last — final
  16. rest — a break
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. last — to go on
  19. stand — to bear
  20. shower — rain
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rest — what's left

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