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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mate — a friend
  8. content — the amount
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. content — happy
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — rain
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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