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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spell — a short time
  4. dip — to sink
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. spell — magic
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bass — low music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitch — completely
  24. lash — a whip stroke

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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