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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pop — soda
  15. charge — in control
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kid — child
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wound — an injury
  20. charge — a price
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pop — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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