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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. craft — a skill
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — in sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. shower — to wash
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fall — to drop
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. craft — boats
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. row — a line
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fall — the season
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fall — to drop
  23. row — to paddle
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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