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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chest — a box
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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