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

Word bank: shower · deal · bat · ground · fall · bore · bulb · mark

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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