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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lie — to recline
  5. shower — rain
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. spell — magic
  15. shower — to wash
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — a match
  19. mate — a friend
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — letters
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — of a tree

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