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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. shower — rain
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fine — high quality
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fine — all right
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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