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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cap — a lid
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mate — to breed
  10. field — a subject
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. field — for sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. field — farmland
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. charge — a price
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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