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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. season — of the year
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — to rip
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. tear — from crying
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — in sport
  24. hide — animal skin

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