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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. shower — rain
  3. rest — a break
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. band — a music group
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ground — a position
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. band — a ring
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stock — shares
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stock — goods
  24. rest — what's left

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