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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — hurry
  4. shower — rain
  5. lie — to recline
  6. file — a tool
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. current — happening now
  11. file — a line of people
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. current — electric
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. snap — to click
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. file — a document
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — an untruth

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