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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. toast — bread
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mate — to breed
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mate — a partner
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. season — of the year
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. season — in sport
  18. shower — to wash
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rush — hurry
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. temple — side of the head

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