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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. file — a document
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a line of people
  7. shower — rain
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. file — a tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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