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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ground — a position
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. squash — to crush
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. swing — in golf
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pitch — completely
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ground — crushed
  21. squash — the sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. swing — music
  24. pass — a permit

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