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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. firm — decided
  3. shower — to wash
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. firm — steady
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. shower — rain
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — a company
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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