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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — rain
  3. spell — a short time
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mine — for digging
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. spell — letters
  16. staff — a stick
  17. net — in sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spell — magic
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mug — a face

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