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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rush — hurry
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. bound — certain
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rush — to hurry

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