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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. perch — the fish
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — shares
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — in control
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — goods
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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