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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wound — an injury
  3. file — a tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. file — a document
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. suit — clothes
  14. staff — employees
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. suit — to fit
  18. file — a line of people
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — goods
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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