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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — after costs
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — in sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. net — for catching
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. key — for a lock

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