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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rock — a stone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hand — help
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. shower — rain
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hand — in cards

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