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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. firm — decided
  5. chest — a box
  6. firm — steady
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — to wash
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. firm — a company
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — moving air
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitch — a sports field

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