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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 116 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mug — a face
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. field — a subject
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — farmland
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spell — letters
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. spell — magic
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spell — a short time
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. prune — to trim
  23. field — for sport
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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