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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 124 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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cell — in biology
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cell — a phone
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. club — a group
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. club — for golf
  14. roll — a list
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chair — a leader

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