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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitch — completely
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. staff — employees
  10. bat — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. last — finally
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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