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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ball — a great time
  5. shower — rain
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. shower — to wash
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. hand — help
  12. pass — a permit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — to play on
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. swing — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. swing — in golf
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. snap — to click

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