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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rule — a law
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. firm — decided
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — in sport
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rule — government
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. shower — rain
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — certain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. net — for catching
  23. firm — steady
  24. net — after costs

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