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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rash — hasty
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — rain
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spring — of water
  19. rock — music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lie — to recline

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