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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — for catching
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wake — a trail
  9. suit — to fit
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bat — the animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. kick — in football
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. shower — to wash
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. suit — clothes

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