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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ground — a position
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cap — a hat
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. shower — rain
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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