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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. snap — to click
  6. firm — steady
  7. row — to paddle
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. shower — to wash
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. season — of the year
  14. mark — a trace
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — a break
  17. firm — decided
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. firm — a company
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. row — a line

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