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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. drill — army training
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — a group
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. club — for golf
  14. shower — rain
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — for dancing
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. sharp — exactly

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