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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — a tin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. shower — rain
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. shower — to wash
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. temple — a place of worship

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