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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. last — to go on
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — child
  7. board — to get on
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kid — to tease
  10. squash — the sport
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. last — finally
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. last — final
  15. squash — to crush
  16. board — a committee
  17. suit — in cards
  18. shower — to wash
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. suit — clothes
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — to fit

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