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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bound — obliged
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. track — to keep track
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. shower — rain
  9. kick — in football
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. track — a song
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — a tin
  14. fine — all right
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — certain
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to click
  20. bound — tied together
  21. track — a path
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fine — high quality

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