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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. foot — a measure
  3. shower — to wash
  4. drill — a practice
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. shower — rain
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. track — to keep track
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. face — to point toward
  13. track — a path
  14. rush — hurry
  15. face — to confront
  16. drill — the tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. track — a song
  21. face — part of the head
  22. drill — army training
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. trunk — of a tree

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