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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. shower — to wash
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rest — a break
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rest — what's left
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. row — to paddle
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rest — what's left

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