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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. shower — rain
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. root — the cause
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chair — a leader
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. shower — to wash
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — on a finger
  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