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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. can — a tin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. can — a tin
  7. mug — a face
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — in music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. date — the fruit
  16. deal — to handle
  17. can — to be able to
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mug — to rob
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lean — thin

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