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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rock — a stone
  4. current — happening now
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. kid — child
  10. fork — in a road
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. current — of water
  13. stand — to bear
  14. band — a music group
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. band — a ring
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. current — electric
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cell — a phone
  24. kid — to tease

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