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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. object — to protest
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fine — high quality
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. object — an aim
  17. spell — magic
  18. object — a thing
  19. content — the amount
  20. fine — all right
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. spell — letters
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bore — to drill

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