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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stand — to bear
  3. shower — to wash
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stock — shares
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mark — a grade
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. kick — in football
  18. track — a song
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stock — goods
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — with a leg

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