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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chest — a box
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. file — a document
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. file — a line of people
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. racket — for tennis

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