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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. last — to go on
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cap — a hat
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. charge — a price
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pit — in a race
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pit — a hole
  13. charge — in control
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — in a road
  17. last — final
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. last — finally
  21. sharp — clever
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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