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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. object — to protest
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. object — an aim
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kick — in football
  14. sharp — clever
  15. season — of the year
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. object — a thing
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — to bear
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. season — in sport
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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