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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. sharp — clever
  3. shower — to wash
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fork — in a road
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mug — a face
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mug — a cup
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. suit — to fit
  15. net — after costs
  16. mug — to rob
  17. net — in sport
  18. field — for sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. suit — clothes

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