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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. snap — to click
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mate — a friend
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. key — in music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mate — to breed
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. kick — in football

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