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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — a path
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. net — for catching
  11. track — to keep track
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. mug — a face
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mug — a cup
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. track — a song
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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