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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rest — a break
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. shower — to wash
  6. squash — to crush
  7. present — a gift
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. present — there
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. charge — in control
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — a price
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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