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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spring — a coil
  3. present — the time now
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rash — a series
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wind — moving air
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. present — there
  17. spring — the season
  18. present — a gift
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spring — of water
  24. rash — hasty

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