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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. last — finally
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. last — final
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — in a road
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — to go on
  15. firm — steady
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — low music
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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