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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. tear — from crying
  6. shower — to wash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mug — a face
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ground — a position
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ground — crushed
  21. row — a line
  22. rule — government
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tear — from crying

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