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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mate — to breed
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rule — a law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rule — government
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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