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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. spring — a coil
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — rain
  6. drill — army training
  7. rule — a law
  8. spring — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. board — a committee
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. board — to get on
  18. can — to be able to
  19. drill — the tool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — the season
  24. game — wild animals

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