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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rash — hasty
  7. squash — to crush
  8. game — a match
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — a short time
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. rash — a series
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. spell — letters
  20. game — wild animals
  21. court — of law
  22. spell — magic
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rash — on the skin

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