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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pop — music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pop — to visit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. shower — rain
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. safe — out of danger

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