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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. saw — the tool
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rock — music
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. degree — temperature
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rock — a stone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. degree — from a university
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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