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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. shower — rain
  5. firm — decided
  6. last — to go on
  7. firm — steady
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. last — finally
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pop — to visit
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. pop — soda
  20. ball — a dance
  21. firm — a company
  22. last — final
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — to wash

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