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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. degree — temperature
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — from a university
  6. tear — from crying
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tear — to rip
  9. degree — an amount
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — a price
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. charge — in control
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. shower — rain
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — electricity
  24. shower — to wash

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