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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — the time now
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. shower — rain
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. present — there
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — to wash
  14. present — a gift
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a match
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. can — to be able to
  24. game — wild animals

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