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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. shower — rain
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spell — magic
  9. fine — high quality
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chest — a box
  17. spell — letters
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spell — a short time
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fine — all right
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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