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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. object — a thing
  5. tear — from crying
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a ring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. band — a music group
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tear — to rip
  18. object — to protest
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. suit — clothes
  21. net — in sport
  22. shower — rain
  23. net — after costs
  24. foot — the bottom

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