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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. fall — the season
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mark — a grade
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lie — to recline
  6. staff — a stick
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. shower — to wash
  13. club — a group
  14. bat — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fall — to drop
  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