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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. drill — the tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — army training
  8. hand — in cards
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. face — to confront
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. shower — rain
  17. kick — in football
  18. hand — help
  19. face — to point toward
  20. ball — a dance
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wave — of the sea

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