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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. craft — boats
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pit — a hole
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. snap — to click
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. tube — the underground

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