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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mug — a cup
  3. track — a song
  4. land — to come down
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. last — final
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. land — a country
  13. mug — a face
  14. track — to keep track
  15. land — ground
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stand — to bear
  18. track — a path
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mug — to rob

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