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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. last — to go on
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mug — a cup
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — finally
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mug — a face
  10. shower — rain
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. last — final
  19. shower — to wash
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — to rob
  24. current — of water

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