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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wound — an injury
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. board — a committee
  12. court — for sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ground — the earth
  19. court — of a king
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. capital — money
  22. ground — a position
  23. court — of law
  24. board — to get on

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