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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. shower — rain
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mate — to breed
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wind — moving air
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mate — a friend

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