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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. scale — in music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mug — a face
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — the underground
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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