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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pop — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stand — to bear
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. object — to protest
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pop — soda
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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