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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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 — rain
  2. firm — decided
  3. toast — bread
  4. firm — steady
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rush — hurry
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ground — crushed
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. firm — a company
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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