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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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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: bat · shower · wound · pop · field · firm · lean · suit

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — decided
  4. shower — rain
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. field — farmland
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. firm — a company
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bat — the animal
  16. field — for sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — to visit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. lean — thin
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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