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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. object — a thing
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — to protest
  9. track — a song
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. track — to keep track
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. object — an aim
  15. game — a match
  16. pop — soda
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. shower — to wash
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. track — a path
  21. deal — to handle
  22. game — wild animals
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — music

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