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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. march — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — the month

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