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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. staff — a stick
  4. shower — rain
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. last — final
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — finally
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. last — to go on
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. staff — employees
  24. wound — an injury

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