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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. track — a song
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. track — a path
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. track — to keep track
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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