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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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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: object · stick · bear · shower · mark · rush · cell · bat

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — rain
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cell — a phone
  22. object — to protest
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rush — 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