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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. shower — rain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bound — certain
  9. perch — the fish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — hurry
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kick — in football
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pit — in a race
  23. saw — the tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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