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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. land — ground
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — to handle
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — rain
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. land — a country
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — to wash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. land — to come down
  24. rush — to hurry

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