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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — low music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — a position
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lean — thin
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. shower — rain

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