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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fall — the season
  5. shower — to wash
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bass — low music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. snap — to click
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. tear — to rip
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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