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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. game — a match
  3. suit — in cards
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — to wash
  8. game — wild animals
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mark — a trace
  14. suit — to fit
  15. root — the cause
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. root — of a plant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. root — of a word

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