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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — of water
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. spring — the season
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lean — thin
  21. shower — to wash
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lean — to bend
  24. jam — a tight spot

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