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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. track — a song
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wax — to grow
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. shower — to wash
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. track — a path
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. track — to keep track
  22. can — a tin
  23. ball — a dance
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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