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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a document
  7. scale — in music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. file — a tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rash — hasty
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. snap — to click
  17. rash — a series
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. file — a line of people
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — a break
  22. scale — size or range
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — to dunk

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