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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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. stem — a stem cell
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. track — a song
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. object — an aim
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. game — a match
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. object — a thing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. track — a path
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — to protest
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stem — to come from
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kick — in football
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rest — a break

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