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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mate — a friend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. shower — rain
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mate — to breed
  24. swing — music

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