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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. shower — to wash
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — of a river
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lie — an untruth

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