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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rock — music
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rock — a stone
  6. shower — rain
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wind — moving air
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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