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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. object — a thing
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. object — an aim
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fine — all right
  10. current — happening now
  11. fine — high quality
  12. shower — rain
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. object — to protest
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. current — of water
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rush — hurry
  23. current — electric
  24. rush — a thrill

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