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

Word bank: shower · fall · snap · saw · pitcher · rock · bay · fork

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rock — music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fall — the season
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fall — to drop
  24. saw — the tool

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