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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. current — electric
  3. club — for dancing
  4. current — of water
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. shower — to wash
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. kid — child
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. club — for golf
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — happening now
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — to bear
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. club — a group

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