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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rule — government
  3. shower — rain
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. shower — to wash
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rule — a law
  18. ball — a dance
  19. can — a tin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a great time
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fan — to cool the air

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