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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. snap — to click
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. date — the fruit
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fine — all right
  11. mug — to rob
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. squash — the sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rash — a series
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. shower — rain
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mug — a face
  23. rash — hasty
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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