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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. firm — decided
  3. court — for sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — of water
  6. shower — to wash
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — to come from
  11. season — in sport
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. firm — a company
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. season — of the year
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. firm — steady

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