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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — to wash
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a trace
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — magic
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. tear — from crying
  15. key — in music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. spell — letters
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — a soup base

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