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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hand — help
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — low music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. saw — the tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — in cards
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bass — the fish

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