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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. shower — rain
  2. firm — a company
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. content — happy
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — all right
  8. content — the amount
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. snap — to click
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. firm — decided
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — a break
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — steady
  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