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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. capital — a city
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. shower — rain
  10. mug — a face
  11. capital — money
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. object — to protest
  14. rush — hurry
  15. object — an aim
  16. tube — the underground
  17. object — a thing
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — to rob

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