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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — happy
  5. object — to protest
  6. rock — a stone
  7. shower — to wash
  8. content — the amount
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. face — to confront
  15. object — an aim
  16. pit — a hole
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stand — to bear
  19. shower — rain
  20. object — a thing
  21. rock — music
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pit — in a race

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