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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 116 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — rain
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rush — hurry
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bound — certain
  17. bear — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tear — from crying
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rush — to hurry

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