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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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. sharp — clever
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fine — all right
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tear — from crying
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tear — from crying
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mark — to pay attention

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