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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rock — a stone
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rock — music
  10. mark — a grade
  11. deal — to handle
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — in cards
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. game — a match
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. shower — rain
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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