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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — electric
  7. prune — to trim
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. current — of water
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — happening now
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cap — a hat
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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