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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · can · lash · lie · spell · fork · chest · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. object — to protest
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. object — an aim
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — a box
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. can — to be able to
  24. shower — rain

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