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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bank — of a river
  3. ground — crushed
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. drill — army training
  7. ball — a dance
  8. shower — to wash
  9. snap — to click
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — for light
  12. shower — rain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ground — a position
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bulb — for light

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