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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. swing — in golf
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mug — a face
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mug — to rob
  7. swing — to play on
  8. face — part of the head
  9. swing — music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. hand — help
  12. shower — to wash
  13. craft — boats
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. face — to confront
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mug — a cup
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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