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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wax — to grow
  4. row — to paddle
  5. shower — to wash
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — a face
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rest — a break
  10. mug — to rob
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — a cup
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rest — what's left
  22. row — a line
  23. kick — in football
  24. content — happy

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