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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitch — completely
  5. can — a tin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. track — a path
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rash — a series
  14. tear — to rip
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — to keep track
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. track — a song
  24. shower — rain

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