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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — to wash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. band — a music group
  5. tear — from crying
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — to rip
  18. band — a ring
  19. shower — rain
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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