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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. shower — to wash
  6. drill — army training
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. game — a match
  9. scale — in music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. suit — in cards
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — clothes
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. shower — rain
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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