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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. shower — rain
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bat — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. swing — music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rush — hurry

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