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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — all right
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. shower — rain
  23. file — a tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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