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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. sharp — clever
  3. club — for golf
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. club — for dancing
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. shower — rain
  19. firm — decided
  20. toast — bread
  21. club — a group
  22. bat — the animal
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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