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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chest — a box
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chest — of your body
  5. last — finally
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. last — to go on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. last — final
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bulb — of a plant

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