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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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. net — after costs
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. shower — to wash
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — an aim
  11. club — a group
  12. squash — the sport
  13. club — for golf
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. object — a thing
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — to crush
  24. object — to protest

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