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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. shower — rain
  5. drill — a practice
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fall — the season
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. drill — army training
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rush — hurry
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — music
  23. pound — a weight
  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