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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wake — a trail
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chest — of your body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chest — a box
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chest — of your body
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. can — to be able to
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. object — an aim
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. shower — rain
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chair — a leader

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