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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. shower — rain
  4. kick — in football
  5. drill — army training
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. drill — the tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. squash — to crush
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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