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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. row — a line
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lean — thin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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