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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mug — a cup
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. shower — rain
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mug — a face
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. land — ground
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — a container
  20. shower — to wash
  21. chest — of your body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chest — of your body

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