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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rock — a stone
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bound — tied together
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — a company
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. firm — decided
  20. scale — in music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bound — certain
  23. shower — rain
  24. bat — in an idiom

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