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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. kick — in football
  4. club — for golf
  5. lean — to bend
  6. club — for dancing
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fine — all right
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lean — thin
  14. shower — rain
  15. fine — high quality
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. row — a line
  18. rush — hurry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. club — a group
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. row — to paddle

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