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

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spring — of water
  4. present — there
  5. rule — government
  6. spell — magic
  7. present — a gift
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. spell — a short time
  11. present — the time now
  12. firm — steady
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mate — to breed
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mate — a partner
  18. firm — decided
  19. spring — the season
  20. game — a match
  21. spell — letters
  22. shower — to wash
  23. game — wild animals
  24. firm — a company

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