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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to click
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mine — for digging
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rest — a break
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — music
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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