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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. shower — rain
  5. fall — the season
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. row — a line
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. row — to paddle

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