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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. shower — rain
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tube — the underground
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mark — a trace
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. snap — to click
  16. tube — a container
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mark — to pay attention

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