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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — rain
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — a series
  14. cap — of ice
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — a song
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cap — a lid
  21. track — a path
  22. rest — a break
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cabinet — ministers

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