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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. root — the cause
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. root — of a word
  15. rush — hurry
  16. staff — employees
  17. shower — rain
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. root — of a plant
  24. staff — a stick

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