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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. shower — rain
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wound — an injury
  6. toast — bread
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — decided
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. shower — to wash
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. firm — a company
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — steady

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