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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 120 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. shower — rain
  5. rule — a law
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rush — hurry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. shower — to wash
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — to hit hard

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