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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mug — a face
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. roll — a list
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rock — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wake — a trail
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rock — a stone
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fan — a supporter

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