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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bat — the animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. row — a line
  8. suit — to fit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. suit — in cards
  13. game — a match
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. row — to paddle
  16. shower — rain
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. suit — clothes

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