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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. roll — a list
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. squash — the sport
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. shower — to wash
  9. current — electric
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. roll — a cake
  14. current — of water
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. kick — in football
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — to crush
  24. roll — on a roll

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