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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. season — in sport
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. row — to paddle
  16. season — of the year
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — a line
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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